Homebrew Kuo-Toa Species Details

Kuo-toa names are a long series of gargling syllables, and their voices have a bubbly, gargling quality. However, the kuo-toa communicate as much through gesture as speech. They have difficulty standing still, and are prone to quick, darting movements. They pace constantly, walking in circles around creatures talking to them. A kuo-toa priest speaking to a group of followers doesn’t stand at a podium but wanders aimlessly while the crowd follows like a school of fish.

Kuo-toa prefer their leaders to be physically above their subordinates. (If no dais or platform is available for leaders, they have been known to literally stand on top of prostrate underlings.) However, leaders tend to dwell on the lowest levels of buildings because these are considered the safest areas in a settlement, due to their proximity to the water.

Since the kuo-toa are fishlike, they lack eyelids. This isn’t only unnerving in conversation (a kuo-toa never blinks), but it also means that kuo-toa all look the same sleeping as awake — and virtually all kuo-toa sleepwalk, making things even more confusing. 

Kuo-Toa Traits

As a kuo-toa, you gain the following traits:

Ability Score Increase

Your Wisdom score increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1.

Age

The true maximum age of Kuo-toa is unknown, as many are killed prematurely due to infighting and zealotry.

Alignment

Most kuo-toa are evil, racist, xenophobic, and insane. They tend toward lawful, coming from a culture where anything other than the normal gets you labelled a heretic.

Otherworldy Perception

You gain proficiency in the perception skill, and you can add twice your proficiency bonus to any checks you make with it.

Slippery

You're hard to catch. You have advantage on ability checks and saving throws made to escape a grapple.

Amphibious

You're adapted to the water. You can breathe air and water.

Sunlight Sensitivity

You have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when you, the target of your attack, or whatever you are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.

Darkvision

Accustomed to the black shores and unending night of the Underdark, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Size

Kuo-toa stand between 4 and 5 feet tall and average about 85 pounds. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet, and you have a swim speed of 30 feet.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Undercommon and Common.